In Her Blood

by Janice Jones

  A silver mane of hair sat on his broad shoulders and smelled of spices she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  “Let me look at you for a second,” he said. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  Alex took two steps and she was in his strong arms. The smell of sandalwood puffed up through his shirt when she squeezed him tight and his cane bumped her on the butt as he rocked her in his arms.

  “I’m so sorry, father,” she said, voice muffled in his broad chest. She held on so tight. His arms were still strong and squeezed her close to him. As he rocked them slowly, she didn’t want to let him go, but he pushed her gently from his grip and smiled down on her again.

  He leaned on his cane again as she stood before him. He touched her face with a strong hand as his face registered his pleasure to see her again.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered down to her.

  “Whatever you need,” Alex whispered in his hand.

  “We need nothing right now,” Roland grinned at her. “But those who took my son from me. Do you know who they are?”

  “Not yet, but . . .”

  “When you know, I expect you to tell me and only me,” Roland said. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  Lucas cleared his throat as he appeared behind Roland. “Father, I can handle this. You should rest. Alex and I . . .”

  “Have lost someone you both love,” Roland growled. “I have lost a child, a part of my soul. Your grief has limits, mine does not!”

  Roland nodded slowly and led the way out the back door. The smell of burning wood and the sound of fire as it crackled interrupted the night songs.

  The stone circle appeared before them, created when he was Shaman of his tribe. Two hundred years later, he was leader, but would pass the mantle to his only son soon.

  Roland entered the circle first, chanted as he sat down on a stone in the center. When he was done, Lucas led her inside. Roland directed them to the stones directly in front of him; where he wanted them to be.

  Alex watched the flames in the pits around the outside of the circle as they danced in the breeze and red embers floated up toward the stars.

  “Roland, I came here . . .” Alex started.

  Roland raised a steady hand and she fell silent.

  “I know why you came here,” Roland replied. “Matt told me he had a dream about you a few days before he was taken from the training ground. He was expecting you to show up.”

  “I had one about him too,” she admitted. “But I didn’t know what it meant until now.”

  “He tried to warn you.”

  “I think so,” she nodded.

  Roland stretched his legs out in front of him. He placed his hands in his lap and tilted his head to one side. She could see the relief wash over him and Lucas. “Where should we look?”

  Alex took a deep breath. “I don’t know, but he was close when it happened, very close.”

  Lucas stood and began to pace behind her. “What does that mean?”

  “Our connection has weakened over the years, Lucas. I don’t know exactly where he was. I’ll keep trying though.”

  Lucas sat back down and stared at his father. Alex could feel his fear and his anger, but she wasn’t prepared to do anything about it. Her path would take her far from here this time.

  “I haven’t used blood to track in years,” Alex explained. “I’m surprised I was able to feel what I did after all this time. The case I picked up has a sample of his blood. That’s why he left it for me. So maybe I could track him in time. I still may be able to get something from the sample. I’ll try tonight if you want me to.”

  “You do that,” he huffed. “In the meantime, I’m going out to find my brother’s killer the old fashioned way, hunt!”

  Roland didn’t try to stop him as he left. They could hear doors slamming and then car tires rolling away from the compound in a hurry.

  “I’m sorry,” Alex said as she took a seat next to Roland.

  “It’s not your fault,” Roland replied. “Lucas is angry and so am I. I didn’t expect to see you, but when Lucas told me you were here, I let myself believe it was because Matt had connected with you and he was still alive.”

  “I wish I’d come sooner,” Alex tried to keep the tears from falling. Roland stretched a long arm around her and kissed her forehead.

  “I do too.”

  _______________

  His text surprised her. Jason asked her to meet him at the fountains. How could she have refused such a strangely human request as that? The walk helped to clear her head. Jason’s voice popped inside her brain from across the street. He waved her over like an excited child.

  His bright smile, casual dress and tousled locks almost hid him from her eyes. But he wanted her to see him surrounded by humans and no one the wiser.

  “You almost missed the beginning,” he smiled and kissed both cheeks. “It’s the best part.”

  He pulled her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

  As the lights and water performed and the music filled her ears, Alex relaxed against him. His body was less firm than earlier and he was warmer than she was.

  “Okay,” Alex laughed. “What’s going on, Stavros?”

  His hold tightened and his chuckle made her back tingle. “I like being around . . . people,” he sighed. “It reminds me of when I was like them. That’s our little secret.”

  “My lips are sealed,” she laughed.

  “Let’s hope.”

  He pulled her back and they emerged from the crowd hand in hand.

  Jason led her to a bench and pinned her in the corner.

  “We won’t get in the way of the Pack. How’s Roland?”

  Alex kept her hands in her lap as he stared directly in her eyes. He liked to do that.

  “He’s lost his son. How do you think he is?”

  “Conner will speak with him tonight,” he whispered. “He will offer whatever assistance they need to find the murderer.”

  “That’s decent of him,” Alex replied. “Why’s he doing that? You guys don’t exactly give a damn about each other’s wellbeing.”

  Jason laughed a really normal laugh.

  “We may not be best friends, but no one is glad to see Matt dead.”

  “And if it was a vampire?” Alex asked.

  “We’ll cross that bridge, if we come to it,” Jason replied.

  The crowd cheered a few feet away and she turned her attention to the sound. “Right.”

  _______________

  Jason wanted to change the subject. All this talk of death and revenge was spoiling the moment for him. “So, how do you know Kit Blaze?”

  “Who says I do?”

  Jason grinned and she grinned back. The slightest bit of fire still left in her eyes as she stared at him. “I was told you and Sebastian paid her a visit the other day.”

  “So?” Alex smirked as she stood and they began to walk toward Jason’s property again.

  “Why?”

  “I was bored,” she replied.

  “Bored,” Jason chuckled. “Did you pay for her services for the boy or yourself?”

  “Why?” Alex sighed. “Jealous?”

  “Hardly,” Jason chuckled. “But I am curious as to why you’d visit a call girl just to talk.”

  Alex turned to him when they reached the main entrance of the casino entrance. “She knew Coop. I was trying to see if he might have told her something he shouldn’t have.”

  Jason took her hand as they walked through the casino and through the back doors leading to his private residence. When they reached the front door, Oren opened it as if he had been watching from the peephole.

  “And, did she?” Jason asked leading her out back to the pool area.

  “Did she
what?” Alex asked.

  “Know anything,” he chuckled. “Why are you making this so hard?”

  “It’s fun winding you up,” she replied pulling him to a stop at the edge of the pool. Bringing him closer, she kissed him. He was surprised and pleased at her forwardness. Although he was used to taking the lead, it only seemed right that she did.

  At first, the kiss was innocent, almost sweet. Then she began to let go of her defenses and allow a rage to escape her. Jason didn’t mind at all.

  _______________

  Hot and wet, his mouth moved in greedy pulls at first, but when Alex pulled him closer, he slowed the pace and gave in to her silent direction.

  When he moved her toward a staircase that led up to his private balcony, she barely noticed. He held her hand tight, but she could only focus on her desire to reach their destination.

  Once on the balcony, she pulled free of his grip and stepped back a few inches to catch her breath. The balcony doors opened with a wave of his hand and Alex could smell scented candles and see a bottle of champagne as it chilled next to the bed.

  “Was this the plan or did you just wing it?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Sixteen-year olds wing it,” he replied in the same manner. “I always have a plan.”

  He backed inside and opened the bottle. Pouring one glass, he took a sip and she took the bottle. “Very ladylike.”

  Alex laughed as she took a drink from the cold bottle. “Is that what you want me to be right now, a lady?”

  Climbing into the bed and tossing her shoes over the side, Jason joined her.

  Alex climbed on top of him and they eased down into the bed together.

  They tugged at each other’s clothes like horny teenagers and once there was nothing more to take off, she took control.

  _______________

  She moved over him like silk. She did all the things he liked to do to his conquests like she was reading his mind. But what she didn’t do was offer him a taste. And his body was aching for it right now.

  As he was invited inside her, that blood hunger surfaced. It pushed at his groin and bounced around his body like a pinball. Over and over they came, shaking the glass in the windows and pulling the sheets loose underneath them. Jason flipped them over and entered her again, deep.

  “You haven’t offered me a taste,” he growled, voice hoarse.

  When she stretched her arm out, her wrist brushed his mouth.

  He smiled, incisors dropping slowly.

  _______________

  Alex thought she could hear the gums separating as they descended. As much as she tried to deny it, all of her senses were still heightened. No matter how much she wanted to suppress her own skill, she grew stronger with every passing day. Humans were never any threat to her, but now that she was surrounded by supernatural beings again, and she had to use the skills she was born with as a hybrid. She hated it, but she had no other choice.

  She connected to his mind almost instantly. It was easy because he was focused on the taste. Like everything else she hid from the world, she rarely used her telepathic abilities anymore. In this situation, it was necessary to keep Jason from taking too much of her blood. She still wasn’t sure what it might do to him.

  The prick of one tooth sent a familiar pain through her body. It scratched the thin layer of skin at her wrist and his eyes closed as he took a deep breath.

  Alex let him lick the thin stream from her arm, but kept him from sinking both teeth in and feeding the way he wanted to.

  Later, when he was asleep, Alex dressed and left him there.

  Downstairs, she almost made it without being seen. Nikki stepped out of the shadows, low growl in her voice.

  “Sneaking off,” she purred. “Did you pick his pocket or something?”

  Alex smiled as they walked to the front door. She turned to Nikki and plucked a long hair from her sweater. “I’ve got an early meeting, need to get some sleep.”

  “He can be quite demanding,” Nikki smiled as she opened the door.

  “You would know,” Alex replied then stepped out onto the porch.

  “Yes, I would.”

  “Tell him I’ll call him later today. We’ll do lunch. You’re welcome to join us,” Alex grinned.

  “No thanks, but I’ll pass that along,” Nikki grinned back. “Um . . . for the record, it won’t last. Jason has a weakness for human women. Always has, especially ones like you. I tolerate it, but remember one thing, he’s not for you. His future is with his own kind.”

  Alex stepped back in Nikki’s face and forced her against the door with her closeness. She took a deep breath, nose grazing Nikki’s neck; her slight shiver made Alex grin.

  “Don’t worry. You can have him back when I’m done. I don’t care about his future. The present is enough for me.”

  One soft, quick kiss to Nikki’s cheek and she was off. She could hear Nikki cursing as she got to the end of the drive and the gate opened slowly.

  Chapter 25

  No one wanted to really talk about the shooting from the other night, or Matt’s death. And Sebastian had called in every marker he had in the city and still came up short. Now what?

  He was up two grand, but it hardly mattered. If he went back to Alex with nothing, he’d stake himself. The twins on one side and Xavier on the other, Sebastian folded the last hand with two pair.

  “Hey,” Xavier barked. “Where you going?”

  He walked away, saying he’d be back in a few minutes.

  The bar down the street was a bust, and so was the strip club Kai talked them into going to downtown.

  Sebastian didn’t have the heart to tell them all the women were vampires and the only reason they paid them any attention was for the chance to hook them to the bite.

  He finally convinced his friends to leave and hit the poker tables for a while. He wasn’t sure where Kai would have heard about that place, but they were safe now, back at their hotel, losing money like normal people.

  He sat down in the bar and people-watched. From his position, he could still see his friends and Jason’s guards all around them.

  He wondered what Alex was doing right now. And he wondered what the cases were really for. He stuffed a hand in his pocket for his room card, but he pulled out a slip of paper instead.

  The obviously battered and worn stock paper appeared in his pocket for a reason. He wondered why he’d have a flyer from a strip club from over twenty years ago. The picture was faded and the colors, he could tell, were once bright neon.

  The words ‘Grand Opening’ were barely noticeable at the top of the page.

  This bar catered to a particular type of human—the type who craved the bite and came there to feed their addiction. Its clientele, strictly female; their fee for membership, one hundred dollars. For that small amount, all their dreams fulfilled the paper said. No request denied. No fantasy beyond their reach.

  Like any good drug, the vampire’s bite is highly addictive.

  But unlike the manmade drugs of today, there is no reason to chase that first high. The more you’re bitten, the better it feels! And you’d do anything or pay any price for the experience. And they did!

  Before he could toss the paper away, something caught his eye.

  At the very bottom, scrawled in almost illegible handwriting was a note.

  “She deceives you all,” he whispered to no one. “The bite consumes all who seek its embrace forever.”

  Sebastian folded the paper carefully then tucked it back in his pocket as he stood.

  He stopped at the poker table. “I’m headed upstairs.”

  “Too much excitement for you,” David chuckled.

  Sebastian gave them a fake smile and waved over his shoulder as he disappeared in the crowd again.

  His steps were deliberately slow. He needed this time to
slow his heart and control his anger. If not, one of them would die.

  _______________

  “I should be back in a couple of days,” Alex stated. She swiped the screen to see the images one by one. “How’re things going there?”

  She heard Ivy pushed out a hard breath, “Fine. Don’t try to change the subject. What are you really doing in Vegas? Does it have anything to do with the guy they found a couple weeks ago?”

  If she even hinted at that being part of the reason, Ivy wouldn’t stop asking questions Alex didn’t want to answer. Ignore Ivy and she was liable to board a plane an hour later. When they were kids, Ivy was the most popular girl in school. She never bothered with formalities like introductions. Not knowing her was your problem. And if you did know her, everyone wanted to know you. For a teenager who hunted vampires, being known was not a good thing.

  “So,” Ivy said from the other end of the line. “Spill it, Stone.”

  “I’m doing what E! News says I’m doing,” Alex giggled. “Secretly dating Jason Stavros and plotting to sell my company to him because I might be pregnant with his child.”

  “Shut up,” Ivy sighed. “Don’t tell me then. I’m only your best friend in the whole world is all and you’re keeping secrets from me. Not cool, Alex.”

  Her first thought was to tell her best friend in the whole world the truth. Jason Stavros was a vampire—the principle player in a meeting of all things supernatural. She and the Trackers would be his personal security team at a super-secret meeting she was still unclear about and she would more than likely die in Romania if she failed. Yeah, tell her that.

  Instead she opted for the lie. “Save it,” she replied jokingly. “I’m just trying to talk Coop into getting me access to the Trackers, for the campaign, remember? Our bread and butter?”

  “Whatever,” she heard Ivy giggle. “Where is he by the way?”